Federal File

Delay criticized

Members of the congressional New Democratic Coalition expressed
dismay last week at the Department of Education's recent decision to
give teachers' colleges an extra year before they have to start
reporting on the quality of their programs.

The 1998 reauthorization of the Higher Education Act contains new
accountability measures requiring, among other provisions, that
university teacher-training programs begin reporting their graduates'
performance on state licensing and certification exams to states by
April of this year. The states must then submit reports on the programs
to the federal Education Department.

"Congress intended this process to present a clearer and broader
picture of the readiness of our nation's teacher workforce," the
Democratic lawmakers wrote in a Feb. 10 letter to Secretary of
Education Richard W. Riley. "The decision to postpone the initial
reports by a full year greatly troubles us."

The coalition is a group of moderate Democrats formed in 1997.
Thirty-two of the coalition's 65 members signed the letter, which was
circulated by Rep. Ron Kind of Wisconsin.

Terry Knecht Dozier, a senior adviser to Secretary Riley on
teaching, said certain requirements of the law, especially those
designed to ensure the data are comparable and verifiable, have
contributed to the delay. The lawmakers also asked the department to
respond to allegations that a consultative committee formed to help
with the process was biased against the reporting.

Ms. Dozier said that "if you look at the membership of the
committee, they are very broad-based" and include members of Congress.
She added that the body did not have decision-making power.